Joy is viral!
A seemingly small act of kindness spreads like a virus.
But, like, in the best way.
An unexpected moment of thoughtfulness leaves both the giver and the receiver of the kindness a little happier. It takes the focus off of oneself. When you serve others, everyone wins.
You feel better, so you treat the next person kinder. Before you know it, more people are having better days and your home, community, world is on it’s way to being a better place to be.
When I was 10 maybe 11, my family spent the holidays with relatives in Texas. There was one Sunday where we were getting ready to go to my aunt’s church, and I remember arguing with my mom about who-knows-what. Knowing me, I was probably being rude & uncooperative about dressing up or something silly like that.
I resigned myself to having the WORST day ever, and showed up, arms crossed, to this intimidatingly large church service with a scowl to match.
As we were leaving, and a lady handed me a gift basket with a card, and on the envelope read :
“To the girl in the pretty green dress.”
In the basket was filled with a surprisingly large variety of Land o’ Lakes hot cocoa packets and other Christmasy-type sweets.
It blew my mind that a nice church lady would give some rando, grouchy kid a present, for no reason at all.
I don’t remember much about the basket or the kind lady who gave it to me, but the sweet gesture completely turned my day around.
I rifled through my goodies in the car, much happier and more cooperative, and definitely treating my family more kindly than I had been before.
That woman probably has no idea her thoughtfulness has stayed with me for the past 18 ish years.
You don’t always get to see the impact you’ve made, but more often than not, there’s some kind of chain reaction of pay-it-forward kindness.
(Honorable mention: In my Starbucks barista days- the 17 car run of ‘paying for the car behind you’ in the drive-thru.)
Here’s some ideas of some kind gestures, some smaller and some larger, that are sure to spread a little more joy around:
- Give a gift card to someone who might be having a bad day.
- Buy a meal for a homeless person.
- Bake and mail cookies to your pal who doesn’t usually bake.
- Buy coffee for the person behind you in line.
- Genuinely compliment someone you don’t know. If you see something you admire on someone out in public, tell them!
- Handwrite a card, letter, or postcard to a friend you haven’t seen in a long time.
- Babysit. For free.
- Petsit or walk a dog for free. Just make sure the person knows you’re taking their dog for a walk. 😉
- Make and deliver dinner to a mom who could use a break.
- Acknowledge and thank your server/barista when you see them nailing it through a busy rush.
- Offer up something on FB marketplace for free that could save someone a lot of money.
- Buy a gift on your friend’s amazon wishlist.
- Give your undivided attention to your kids, one at a time. Suck it up and play a few rounds of Candyland, with enthusiasm. (This can be admittedly hard for me sometimes…)
- Thank your partner for working hard for the family (in the home, at work, w/e) and show your appreciation by making dinner.
- Children’s hospitals often have wishlists for toys. Have your child pick a toy to gift to your local hospital. Older kids might consider using their own money toward the cause.
- Volunteer your time/skills virtually or in person. I haven’t used it yet, but VolunteerMatch.org looks like a great resource to get connected locally! Can’t wait to try it.
- Give a care package to a friend going through a challenging time. (My friend made me a post break-up care package in highschool, and her thoughtfulness definitely helped.)
- Do the chores you know your partner/roommate hates to do.
- Give an ice cold La Croix or Gatorade to the UPS/FedEx delivery person.
- Give a shout out to a friend on social media highlighting how amazing they are, just because.
- Donate towels and blankets to the animal shelter.
- Write an encouraging message in chalk on a popular walk path.
- Leave a stellar review for a local business you love.
- Return someone’s shopping cart for them. Parent with several young kids def appreciate this.
- Put your phone down and actively listen to someone.
- Learn some basic ASL signs so you’re prepared to greet a member of the deaf community. (I wish I knew more ASL when I was working at Starbucks especially)
- Run an errand for a sick friend.
- Help a friend pack or unpack for a move.
- Surprise party!
- Drive a friend to a doctor’s appointment.
- Give up the good parking spot.
- Let someone cut in front of you in line.
- Do something with your partner that they really love to do, even if it isn’t your fav.
- Support someone in their goal- run with them, free them up to work on a project, encourage them to pursue their passions.
- Stand up for the service employee getting berated by a customer.
- Always pack extra snacks.
- Respond to the texts and emails you might be forgetting to.
- Show genuine interest in the person sharing their life’s story.
- Buy a small houseplant to cheer someone up.
- Give kind comments on Instragram, blogs, Facebook.
- Donate blood.
- Show up when you’ve been invited to something.
- Insist on helping a parent-friend fold laundry.
- Buy from the local toy store/farm stand.
- Give yourself grace when you’ve really messed up. You deserve kindness, too.
- Really try to remember someone’s name when you meet them.
- Give flowers, just because.
- Pick up someone else’s litter.
- Tip generously, and leave a nice note.
- Surprise your kids with a trip to the zoo/out for ice cream
It’s not hard to get caught up in our own trouble.
I get it.
The struggle is real.
But when we take a moment to focus our energies outward, everyone wins.
What would you add to the list?